1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to stroller accessories generally, and specifically to a multi-layer protective shield for a stroller. The shield has an inflatable frame and provides protection against sun, rain, wind, and insects.
2. Description of Related Art
Babies and small children enjoy going for outings in strollers. Such outings are beneficial in many ways. Outings stimulate children and provide caregivers with needed exercise. Unfortunately, problems with sun, rain, wind, and insects can limit caregivers from taking children for walks.
During an outing, the weather and the child's needs can change quickly. Children generally like to see as much of their surroundings as possible and object if their view is blocked. But if the child falls asleep during the outing, he may be disturbed by sun and movement around him. Rainstorms can come up suddenly and unexpectedly.
A major problem for children in strollers is sun exposure. This is particularly true between about 10 AM and 2 PM, when the sun's radiation is strongest. Sun exposure has been increasingly recognized in recent years as a risk factor for skin cancer. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation is a particular risk. Skin cancer is an important public health problem; studies estimate that 1 in 7 children will get skin cancer. Sunburns in childhood also greatly increase the risk of skin cancer. With the erosion of the ozone layer, sun exposure is expected to become an even greater hazard in the future.
Concerns about sun exposure can limit the hours when outings are possible to the early morning or late in the day. Given the tight schedules of many caregivers, scheduling outings around limits like these is difficult. Small children have little concept of a future, and generally do not react well to having a walk postponed when they want to go outside now.
Several devices exist for dealing with the problem of sun exposure in strollers. Sunscreen can be used on the child. Sunscreen is expensive, messy and time-consuming to apply, and children often resist it. Sunscreen must be reapplied frequently. Sunscreen cannot be used at all on very young infants. Sunscreen offers no protection against rain or insects.
Some strollers come equipped with fabric sunshades. One common type of sunshade is supported by a rigid framework at the top of the stroller. The framework may or may not pivot out of the way when not in use. The effectiveness of a stroller sunshade is generally determined by its size. A large sunshade tends to be awkward to handle, particularly when a stroller is folded. Most stroller sunshades therefore are small. A small sunshade can provide shade to only a limited area, often leaving most of the child's body unprotected. If the sun is in the wrong place, a stroller sunshade may offer no protection at all.
Fabric stroller sunshades also have other problems. Stroller sunshades offer no protection against insects. Being made of fabric and covering only a limited area, stroller sunshades do not protect well against rain. Being opaque, stroller sunshades block a child's view. The larger the sunshade, the more the child's view is blocked.
A stroller sunshade can be supplemented by draping a blanket over the sunshade framework in the direction from which the sun is shining. This provides more shade but blocks the child's view. The blanket tends to come loose and fall off, so that it must be rearranged frequently. The blanket must also be rearranged whenever the angle of the sun changes, as when a corner is turned. Blankets block air circulation.
Some strollers have a large fabric sunshade whose rigid framework is collapsible when not in use. These sunshades provide more shade, but also block more of the child's view. Collapsible fabric sunshades often also do not protect a child's entire body, often leaving the feet and legs exposed to the sun. Some types of collapsible sunshades can extend sufficiently to make a dark enclosure within which a child can nap. However, since the fabric blocks air circulation, such an enclosure can quickly become unbearably hot in hot weather.
Umbrellas and similar shading devices are known which attach to a stroller by a flexible arm, which can be bent to shade the child as necessary. These devices overcome some of the difficulties of a simple blanket, but have disadvantages of their own. Shading devices are bulky. Shading devices cover only a limited area, often leaving much of the child's body unprotected. These devices also must be rearranged each time the angle of the sun changes. The child's view is blocked in the direction of the shading device. Typical shading devices offer no protection against insects and only very limited protection against rain.
Flying insects are another problem for children in strollers. Mosquitoes are a particular problem, but bees, wasps, and flies can also be annoying or even dangerous. Mosquito bites are irritating and can also spread disease. Bee and wasp stings are painful at best and can be life-threatening in children with allergies. Insect activity varies with the time of day and with proximity to breeding areas and the like. Mosquitoes, for example, breed in water and typically are most active in the evening. Mosquito activity can limit outings near lakes and other water sources. Mosquito activity may also further limit the times when outings are possible, in addition to the limits imposed by sun exposure.
Another problem for children in strollers is rain. Pushing a stroller generally requires two hands. It is therefore very difficult for a caregiver to keep a child dry in a rainstorm, even if the caregiver is equipped with an umbrella. A wet child is likely to be cold and cranky in all but the hottest weather. Possibilities for outings are therefore even more restricted when rain is predicted. In combination with the limits imposed by sun and insects, the result can be an unhappy child who rarely gets outside and a caregiver who gets little exercise.
Transparent plastic rain covers for strollers are known. Rain covers are typically supported by the same rigid framework used for a fabric sunshade. The front of the rain cover therefore is close to the child's face and within the reach of even a small infant. This can lead to the child pulling at the cover, which may quickly be torn or wear out. In windy conditions, the raincover can blow onto the child's face. The child's view remains blocked by the sunshade. Being made of transparent plastic, the rain cover cannot be used when the sun shines, due to the greenhouse effect. The plastic also blocks air circulation, so that the rain cover cannot be used in hot weather. Since the plastic is transparent, the rain cover cannot be used for a dark enclosure in which a child can nap.
Many exemplary devices having the above stated disadvantages are known in the patent literature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,355, issued Apr. 15, 1986, and Canadian Patent Document No. 1,198,028, published Dec. 17, 1985, both to Hall, disclose a retractable weather guard for a stroller. The weather guard is supported by the stroller canopy. U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,865, issued Feb. 9, 1993 to Mohtasham, discloses a collapsible insect netting assembly for use with a baby stroller. U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,732, issued Aug. 6, 1996 to Pollman, discloses a shade for a canopied stroller having a fabric shading panel. The fabric shading panel is composed of a fabric material which allows only a portion of the ambient ultraviolet radiation to pass through. French Patent Document No. 2,380,180, published Oct. 13, 1978, discloses a flexible roll-up film for a retractable motorcycle windscreen using inflatable borders as stiffening elements.
Many other examples of the prior art various types of sunshades or netting for covering a baby carrier. Examples of such are, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,289,965, issued Dec. 31, 1918 to Tichenor; 2,789,863, issued Apr. 23, 1957 to Shimabukuro; 3,227,484, issued Jan. 4, 1966 to Merclean; 3,834,756, issued Sep. 10, 1974 to Grell; 5,758,889, issued Jun. 2, 1998 to Ledakis; and 5,494,329, issued Feb. 27, 1996 to Gonzalez et al., all of which are generally cumulative representations of the prior art as addressed above.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.